TEN-HUT! No Waiting at Immigration at Promenada, September 26!

[mesquite]

Can we move on now? Thank you.

Apparently not

[NancyL]

OK fine, I'll go to the police station with the CEC customers to help them file the police report if we lose the passport. But, first I'd check with the U.S. Consulate to see if that was necessary. I've heard reports of people applying for replacement passports from the consulate and expecting to be asked for police reports, but they weren't.

I really think we're It's not like CEC is going to take your passports and leave town.

[lopburi3]

http://chiangmai.usconsulate.gov/replace_passport.html

It is a requirement to provide a police report, even for us Americans. And I was addressing that.

As for receipts can only say hotels always provided in Hat Yai when they held passport and this was accepted by police as proof you were legal and as where they could check. But have not been there for years so not sure if they still do or not.

[Konini]

OK fine, I'll go to the police station with the CEC customers to help them file the police report if we lose the passport. But, first I'd check with the U.S. Consulate to see if that was necessary. I've heard reports of people applying for replacement passports from the consulate and expecting to be asked for police reports, but they weren't.

That would come under Sod's Law - if you don't have one, that's the time they'll ask for it.

Anyway,

The chances of one going missing is very, very slim and the risk is worth the alternative of a very early morning visit to Prom;

Identity theft, whilst a valid concern, is not as common as some sections of the media would have us believe;

Should anyone be stopped by someone wanting to see a passport, 'Immigration has it' is quite possibly the best excuse ever.

The concerns have been noted, but I really think it's time to get on with other things. We really have to bear in mind that the folks at CEC are volunteers whether we benefit from their efforts or not, and having been in charge of 500 volunteers as a job, I know how easy it is to discourage them.

[delboy]

The cost of a replacement passport for a Brit is not cheap. It cannot be done online, it requires 2 trips to Bangkok, one to visit the British Embassy, to report the loss, and then to the visa agency to apply for the replacement passport. Due to office hours, they are very difficult to achieve in 1 day, so an overnight stop is required. Then, about 3-4 weeks later, the second trip to collect the new passport, this can be done in a single day.

My friend recently had to go through this procedure, and we calculated the total cost as about 22,000 baht, without considering the inconvenience and worry that it entails.

So, if CEC are prepared to pay the cost of a replacement passport, they had better be prepared for some large claims if anything goes wrong.

[rawhod]

Oh dear...............

I see a "can of worms" opening up for the British contingent.

[bucklt]

The cost of a replacement passport for a Brit is not cheap. It cannot be done online, it requires 2 trips to Bangkok, one to visit the British Embassy, to report the loss, and then to the visa agency to apply for the replacement passport. Due to office hours, they are very difficult to achieve in 1 day, so an overnight stop is required. Then, about 3-4 weeks later, the second trip to collect the new passport, this can be done in a single day.

My friend recently had to go through this procedure, and we calculated the total cost as about 22,000 baht, without considering the inconvenience and worry that it entails.

So, if CEC are prepared to pay the cost of a replacement passport, they had better be prepared for some large claims if anything goes wrong.

Whilst in Cambodia in 2011, the cost of a new British Passport was c$300US+ (DHL courier Express to Hong Kong - both ways etc).

Despite that, I had no qualms in using the service of the expat club last week - and will continue to do so again.

As someone said in an earlier post: you HAVE choices with this issue - up to you !

Bucklt

[delboy]

I was not implying that anyone should avoid the services provided by CEC, in fact I applaud their efforts to provide a way to make the process easier.

I was only trying to state that it's not a simple cheapish option for some people to replace a lost passport.

I agree completely that everyone has a choice.

[ThaiPauly]

The cost of a replacement passport for a Brit is not cheap. It cannot be done online, it requires 2 trips to Bangkok, one to visit the British Embassy, to report the loss, and then to the visa agency to apply for the replacement passport. Due to office hours, they are very difficult to achieve in 1 day, so an overnight stop is required. Then, about 3-4 weeks later, the second trip to collect the new passport, this can be done in a single day.

My friend recently had to go through this procedure, and we calculated the total cost as about 22,000 baht, without considering the inconvenience and worry that it entails.

So, if CEC are prepared to pay the cost of a replacement passport, they had better be prepared for some large claims if anything goes wrong.

Well just do it yourself if it bothers you that much.

CEC were trying to HELP people, I am sure that there is no hidden agenda whereby they can't wait to get their hands on your passport for whatever reason.

All these objections are just gonna want to make the good folks from CEC say "<deleted> it why should we bother", I know that is what I would think.

[cyberfarang]

The cost of a replacement passport for a Brit is not cheap. It cannot be done online, it requires 2 trips to Bangkok, one to visit the British Embassy, to report the loss, and then to the visa agency to apply for the replacement passport. Due to office hours, they are very difficult to achieve in 1 day, so an overnight stop is required. Then, about 3-4 weeks later, the second trip to collect the new passport, this can be done in a single day.

My friend recently had to go through this procedure, and we calculated the total cost as about 22,000 baht, without considering the inconvenience and worry that it entails.

So, if CEC are prepared to pay the cost of a replacement passport, they had better be prepared for some large claims if anything goes wrong.

Well just do it yourself if it bothers you that much.

CEC were trying to HELP people, I am sure that there is no hidden agenda whereby they can't wait to get their hands on your passport for whatever reason.

All these objections are just gonna want to make the good folks from CEC say "<deleted> it why should we bother", I know that is what I would think.

Right, what`s the point of people asking the same questions in different ways?

I am well satisfied with the explanations given except for one poster with attitude. None of this is ideal, but it`s better then nothing and the complainers could chip in and help if they think they could do a better job.

4 choices. Expats club, an agency, try for luck at immigration or get out of Chiang Mai

I have been pondering on that we are not wanted here, if we were and considered a valuable resource, then they would lay on decent facilities for us. Things have taken a turn for the worse, no denying that, we just have to deal with it.

All the questions here have been honourably and respectfully answered by nancyL, there is nothing else to add. Do whatt you want to do, each to their own.

[ThaiPauly]

I think we are wanted here CF...it's just that Immigration have a funny way of showing it.

To be fair I think things have improved at Promenada since they moved there, it's just that they have a way to go to get it just right, or the same as it was in the old offices.

If I have no option via CEC to do my visa via them next month then I am prepared for the ride...I won't pay a visa agent to do it for me, it's not that I can't afford it...it's just a kind of principle.

I have been in CM 11 years now and am to long in the tooth to bow to presure for me to do so

[fang37]

Dear Sir,

I am an ol' fart - being doing the O-A ???? for 13 years.

May I have special permission to call "it" an "O-A Visa".

For health reasons (broken leg), please do not frown on me for using a visa agent just once.

I am eating one small meal per day in order to pay for the "hand-holding" service.

[ThaiPauly]

IMHO this topic is at a dead end and needs closing.

If CEC are going to do another day next month (WHICH DESPITE ALL THE NEGATIVITY EXPRESSED HERE, I HOPE THEY DO)

MAYBE Nancy will start a new thread relating to it, but I would not blame either her or CM Bob for saying "stuff it"

[sappersrest]

Maybe the initial post should form a pinned topic locked of course.

Thank you to all those CEC members that have put themselves out organising this.

PS must join.

[NancyL]

Yes, I'd be in favor of closing this thread. I think everything that could be said about the initial event has been said.

We've been told that Imm. won't consider if/when there will be another event for at least a couple weeks because there are currently meetings in Bangkok about changes in the way Immigration is run due to directives to do a better job in light of the recent events in Bangkok. We may find ourselves with new management here in CM province for all we know.

While we all have an inflated view of our self-importance, I think the convenience of a couple thousand elderly western and Japanese foreigners may not be at the top of their list right now and we just have to be patient.

The foreign consuls are on our side, especially with regard to bringing back some version of an on-line appointment queue. But they can only push so hard, you know.

[Saraphee]

Nancy,

I do hope the mods hear you - we have worn this thread out for now.

My congratulations on progress so far and my best wishes for you & your team to go ahead with an October event.

Then onward & upward.

When CEC makes an October announcement may I recommend it be done without any military or nationalistic overtones in the headline please

[fang37]

Before you close it, what does TEN-HUT" mean?

[NancyL]

Before you close it, what does TEN-HUT" mean?

See post No. 63: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/857018-ten-hut-no-waiting-at-immigration-at-promenada-september-26/?p=9885915

We're going in circles here.

That probably means it's time to close.

[Tywais]

I've been watching this topic for a while and agree it has gone off track and no longer productive. TEN-HUT, American military shortened term for Attention. Easier to say when you have to yell it out loud.

//Closed//